The Horrors and The Subways offer support to Buffalo Bar as petition is launched to stop closure

Venue will shut at the end of December after property was taken over by a new landlord

The Horrors and The Subways have offered their support to London’s Buffalo Bar, after its closure was announced last week as new landlords contemplate their future plans for the venue.

The venue, situated in Highbury, north London, has been open since 2000 but will close its doors for the last time on December 31. The venue has hosted many famous acts in the past 14 years and is also where The Horrors’ (pictured right) Cave Club is held.

An online petition has been launched to help prevent its closure, with 3,881 signatures at the time of publishing.

“The Buffalo Bar was one of London’s coolest venues,” The Horrors’ Rhys Webb tells NME. “A basement club you could creep in to and party all night. A vital stage for new bands and the home of The Cave Club for the last seven years. I don’t think there’s anywhere quite like it left and it will be sorely missed. Toy, Telegram, The Voyeurs, Connan Mockasin, Moon Duo, Temples and Factory Floor all played amazing early shows for my Cave Club night. The amazing staff let us get away with murder too.”

The Subways, who play a farewell show at the venue next month (December 3), said: “It’s genuinely heartbreaking. We played our first London show there (all underage, I might add!), met our manager there, met some great friends, saw and took part in some awesome gigs, and we are left with some incredible memories. We learnt so much in that dark, welcoming, cool little basement, and it’s weird knowing that soon it’ll no longer be there. The Subways without the Buffalo Bar doesn’t feel right.”

The news of Buffalo Bar’s closure was announced on the venue’s Facebook page last week (November 13). The property recently came under control of new landlords who have served the Buffalo Bar its notice. The venue will stay closed until an alternate use for the space has been found.

Confirming that their New Year’s Eve celebrations will be the last, the statement from the Buffalo Bar reads: “It is with heavy hearts that we announce the imminent closure of the Buffalo Bar. We have been served a very short notice period from our new landlords, after being here for over 14 years. They remain undecided what to do with our space. It will remain closed for the foreseeable future. Make of that what you will.”

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The statement continues: “So, after all this time, we will be hosting our final event on New Years Eve, 2014. This night will serve as a fundraiser for our full time staff, who find themselves without a job just before Christmas. For anyone wants to come down and say goodbye, now is the time.”

“In the meantime, we are putting together a few memorable shows, with some of our favourite bands from down the years, starting with The Subways on December 3. Further events will be announced on our Twitter and Facebook pages. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has been involved with us; all the promoters, the DJs, the many thousands of bands and, of course, all the staff who’ve pitched in over the years.”

You can check out a collection of photos from The Subways’ gig at Buffalo Bar in October 2004 above and below, courtesy of photographer Stuart Nicholls. The Subways play Buffalo Bar on December 3.